Gianni and Donatella Versace. Interesting facts about the outstanding fashion designer Gianni Versace (15 photos)
The first season of American Crime Story focused on the case of former American football player OJ Simpson, who was convicted in 1994 of murdering his wife and her boyfriend and sentenced to 33 years. (In the middle of last year, the former athlete was released on parole).
The new series will tell the story of the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, who died in 1997 at the hands of young man by the name of Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer who seduced respectable rich men.
The filming of the second season of The Assassination of Gianni Versace was followed closely. The fashion designer himself was played by the actor of Venezuelan origin Edgar Ramirez, the role of Gianni Versace's long-term partner Antonio D "Amico went to Ricky Martin (the artists, by the way, are close friends in life), and Andrew Cunanan was portrayed in the series by the young musical actor Darren Criss, known for the TV series Glee (produced by the same Ryan Murphy who also puts on American Crime Story).
Reuters Musician Sting with his wife Trudy Tyler, princess Welsh Diana and Elton John pay tribute to Gianni Versace at Milan Cathedral, July 22, 1997
Even in preparation for filming, everyone was worried about the question of who would play Donatella Versace. At first it was assumed that the role would go to Lady Gaga (a good friend of Donatella Versace), but the producer of the series, Ryan Murphy, decided that it would be more correct to give her to Penelope Cruz. As a result, the actress tried on a platinum-colored wig, mastered the Italian accent of Donatella Versace, and most importantly, tried to play the controversial role as delicately as possible: “This is a delicate story, because I play living woman who lost her brother under horrendous circumstances and who still misses him, despite the fact that 20 years have passed, ”she said in an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow for Interview magazine.
In preparation for the role, Penelope Cruz talked a little with Donatella Versace herself - as she said in an interview with Vogue magazine, she needed this conversation. “I really hope that when she sees the series, she will be happy with it. I am sure that some of the scenes from there will be hard for her to watch, because many of them are dedicated to the death of her brother, which I have great respect for. I did it with big love', Cruz said.
However, on the eve of the release of the series, love was called into question.
Reuters Gianni Versace's Miami Beach villa shortly after his assassination, 1997
On December 8, the Gianni Versace family issued a statement stating that the series should be considered fiction. "The Gianni Versace family did not give their permission for the filming of the future series about the death of Mr. Gianni Versace and did not participate in them in any way," the Versace house said in a statement. “Because Versace was not given permission to release the book on which the series is partly based, and did not participate in the work on the script, this show can be considered purely fiction.”
Series producer Ryan Murphy strongly disagrees with this. "The Versace family said it was fiction, but it's not fiction," he told Entertainment Weekly. - [The People v. O. Jay Simpson: American history crimes] was based on a non-fiction book by Jeffrey Toobin. Versace is based on the non-fiction book Morit Orth, which has been discussed, meticulously analyzed and revised for almost 20 years. She worked for Vanity Fair. Maureen Orth is an impeccable reporter, and we stick to her version. Our series is based on her data, so in this sense it is not fiction, it is a popular science work, of course, with elements of docudrama. We didn't make a documentary."
At the series premiere on Tuesday, January 9, Ryan Murphy told the audience that on the eve of the event, Donatella Versace sent Penelope Cruz huge bouquet colors. The actress herself told WWD that she admires Donatella Versace's passion for the cause and the success she has led the brand to: "She had to do this in a moment of devastation, and she proved that she Strong woman. It was very generous of her, because I'm sure she did it for him as well."
“Look, maybe it will hurt her too much to watch, but I think we handled her story very carefully, with all due respect to her feelings. dignity Ryan Murphy added at the premiere.
Ed.
"I killed Gianni Versace"
Special effects master
He was immediately dubbed the "King of the Neo-Baroque", and his collections became the epitome of beautiful life praised by glossy magazines. Despite the stereotypes that later stuck to his brand - "bad taste", "clothes for the nouveau riche and mafiosi", - Versace was a great artist who could not write in halftones - he just combined in a strange way the redundancy inherent in the Italian south and American scope.
After the tragedy in 1997, Donatella headed Versace Fashion House
Born into a poor family, he spent astronomical sums, collecting fantastically beautiful villas, rare works of art and celebrity friends. Elton John, George Michael, Madonna, Sting, Princess Diana - their relationship with Versace went beyond the client, they called themselves his friends. In many ways, he was a pioneer: he was the first of the designers to invite celebrities to shows, he paid fabulous fees to the most beautiful models so that they do not run to competitors and the most expensive photographers. And he was one of the first to decide to openly oppose the Italian mafia, allocating more than 50 million dollars to fight fakes, the income from which was several times higher than his own and went into the pockets of shady bigwigs. It was in 1996 - a year before his death ...
Reality or fairy tale?
Will the series shed light - at least in part - on one of the most mysterious murders twentieth century? Its creator, Ryan Murphy, is sure that yes - in any case, the viewer will be able to draw their own conclusions. He has already managed to announce that this season raises the problem of homophobia, which was much more acute in the 1990s than it is now. And judging by the trailers and the plot of "Vulgar Favors" by Maureen Orth, Cunanan's personality in the project is assigned a key role - despite the fact that those close to Versace have always denied even the fact that Gianni and his killer met. Judging by their stingy reaction, new interpretation events of 20 years ago should be taken only as fiction. Or like a beautiful fashion fairy tale with a sad ending.
In the luxurious villa of Gianni Versace Casa Casuarina, on the steps of which he was killed, there is now a fashionable hotel with a restaurant. In the photo - Darren Chris as Versace killer Andrew Cunanan on the threshold of the fashion designer's house
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Assassination of Gianni Versace: a new version events of 1997 in the TV series "American Crime Story"
Why was Gianni Versace killed? The fashion designer passed away more than 20 years ago, but the question is still open. The creators of the American Crime Story series presented their version, the second season of which is called The Assassination of Gianni Versace. The world premiere of the first episode took place on January 17, and in Russia the series can already be seen on the Amediateka online service.
Frame from the series "American Crime Story"
While representatives of the fashion world burned with impatience, discussing who will play the main characters, and reviewing the trailers of the film, the House of Versace, led by Donatella, remained silent. The latter only once allowed herself a streamlined comment in response to the question of how she likes being played by Penelope Cruz.
In the book on which the plot is based ("Vulgar Favors" by Maureen Orth. - Ed.), many inaccuracies, but Penelope and I good friends, and I am sure that she will cope with the task as delicately as possible, - Donatella gracefully eluded the answer.
As for one more loved one Gianni Versace, his boyfriend Antonio D "Amico, with whom the famous fashion designer lived for 15 years, he did not stand on ceremony. D" Amiko said that the plot had nothing to do with reality, and a frame from the film where the actor performing it (pop singer Ricky Martin) holding a dying Gianni (actor Edgar Ramirez) with a face like a grieving Virgin Mary, is a ludicrous parody of Michelangelo's Pieta.
Shortly before his death, Gianni Versace admitted that he began to receive threats. But he was a fatalist and always went unguarded - just like that last morning when he went to a nearby cafe for fresh press.
"I killed Gianni Versace"
IN tragic history, which took place on July 15, 1997 on the threshold of the fabulously beautiful Versace villa in Miami Beach, there are really a lot of white spots. The fashion designer was killed early in the morning with two shots to the head - he was returning from a nearby cafe where he bought fresh press. The perpetrator was quickly identified - it turned out to be 27-year-old Andrew Cunanan, who was already wanted for four murders. Moreover, three of those killed were gays - like Gianni Versace, who never hid his orientation. Eight days later, the police tracked down Cunanan and surrounded the house where he was hiding. But they failed to take the killer alive: when the guards broke through the siege, all they found on the spot was his corpse, the pistol from which he shot himself, and, according to one of the legends, a note: "I killed Versace as a banner of homosexuality."
Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin on the poster for the series
The official verdict was handed down and the FBI declared the case closed. But many felt that the story was wrapped up suspiciously quickly: Versace was too bright a figure and too many questions hung unanswered. Why would Cunanan fight against homosexuality if he himself was gay and made a living as an expensive escort? Maybe the motive for the crime was personal, as, by the way, in the three previous murders he committed? Another question is why did a criminal who is on the federal wanted list calmly walk around Miami Beach and leisurely plan another assassination attempt? From this followed another version: Cunanan became a tool in the hands of the Italian mafia, which had some sort of score with Versace. And after the performer did his dirty deed, the mafiosi removed him himself, staging suicide.
Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace
At some point, even the family of the victim fell under suspicion: rumors spread that Gianni had AIDS and his entourage allegedly decided to hasten the inevitable end, and at the same time draw attention to the Fashion House ... Thus, the threads of this tangled tangle spread in different directions , including the historical roots of the designer. "Blood is not water, and discounting his origin - and he comes from the south of Italy - would be strange," representatives of the fashion industry noted.
Special effects master
Gianni Versace burst into the world of fashion quickly: in 1978, his brand debuted in Milan, and already in the 1980s it became recognizable everywhere. It was a real breakthrough: no one famous designer from Calabria, one of the poorest regions of Italy - and suddenly such a powerful start! This fact also gave rise to rumors about a connection with the Italian mafia, but Gianni always categorically denied them. Moreover, he had all the data to become a star: obvious talent and the ability to feel the situation. He loved bright colours, shiny fabrics, excessive decor, embroidery with rhinestones and combinations on the verge of kitsch. Versace worshiped beauty and, almost like Chekhov, sang the beauty in a person: “In our poor part of the Apennine Peninsula, we love that there is a lot of everything and everything would be beautiful, solid, comfortable. And people, and their clothes, and face, and body. .."
In the town of Palazzo, located between Venice and Milan, an exhibition is being prepared in memory of the famous fashion designer Gianni Versace, who was shot dead by a serial killer in 1997: 2,000 celebrities from all over the world are expected to come to the opening. In the interiors of the old castle with painted ceilings and walls and many Venetian chandeliers, the diaries of the great couturier, his will, unknown photographs will be presented for the first time. The New Times was able to see the exhibits and talk to longtime Versace partner Antonio D'Amico
“I leafed through the diary of Gianni, which I had not touched for more than 11 years - since the moment of his murder. And suddenly this letter fell out... I opened the envelope... It was a shocking moment. Gianni told me that he met with his lawyer to draw up a will. In this letter, he told me where his true will was and how much he loved me.”
Antonio D'Amico, life partner and lover of Gianni Versace for the last fifteen years of his life, holds an envelope and a letter, handwritten and certified by a notary: “I still remember how Gianni returned from his attorney, gave me this envelope, kissed me and said, "Don't open it right now, put it away for now."
Antonio D'Amico was the first person to hear the shots fired on the steps of his and Versace's home in Miami, and in whose arms Versace died.¹
Today, together with gallery owners Gabriela Marzoli and her husband Marco, he is preparing an exhibition: "Antonio D'Amico - my life with Gianni." The exhibition will open at the Palazzo on May 16, invited 2,000 guests, and will show photographs of D'Amico with Versace and their close friends: Elton John, Liz Hurley, Sting and his wife Trudy, with Carla Bruni and others. To this day, no one has seen these photos.
Also on display will be The Diary Gianni, who no one has ever seen. D'Amico: "Gianni always kept a diary and sketched his future work. I opened his diary from 1997 and it was as if I was reliving my life with Gianni again. It used to hurt too much."
Daphne Barack: Do you remember when you first met Gianni Versace?
Antonio D'Amico: This was in 1982. I was then a model. I met him at a party after a performance at La Scala. I was amazed by it. At first we were just friends. Then he started calling me: "Let's have lunch together." Then I fell in love with him. Although I dated a girl for three years. But when I fell in love with Gianni, I already knew that the girls were finished. I think we were the first famous Italian gay couple to go out together.
You showed a lot of your personal pictures, where you and Gianni travel in very exotic places, for example, in Algiers, Sudan…
That was the beauty of life with Gianni. He loved very much simple life. On the one hand, he was madly in love with a luxurious life in St. Tropez or on Lake Como, where he had a house. On the other hand, he could say: "Let's go to the Sudanese desert or Algeria ..." I set up a tent there, cooked. We loved simplicity.
Everything around was so peaceful. And Gianni drew his ideas for shows from what surrounded him. Look at these colors in photos from Morocco. Gianni was able to buy new fabrics there, he was delighted with the rich colors in the markets. They influenced his work. Just imagine! Gianni Versace, who personified luxurious life, loved to travel through the deserts, where he could only wash himself with cream.
But still, he loved his luxury house on Lake Como. How was Versace's day?
We got up early. Gianni made sketches. Required calls. We went to fabric factories all over the area. If we had guests, for example, Elton John or Sting, then we just walked or took a boat (shows photos) and rode for half a day. Then we had lunch. Then Gianni slept for two hours. Then we had dinner with friends. Gianni always went to bed early, around 9-10 pm.
But you've had guests who like to have fun, like Elton John.
There was one rule: everyone can enjoy life and do whatever he wants.
Did Gianni go in for sports?
No... He was doing mental labor. He was a genius. Just before the very end, Gianni began to force himself to go to the gym. 
al. But he always did a little bit. He didn't like it very much.
Where else, besides his travels, did Versace draw inspiration for his collections?
Venice! We used to go there on holiday and buy glass crafts and accessories for our homes around the world. I have some photos we took during our trip with Ornella Vanoni.² Here she is in yellow. She is very famous in Italy. We had great time together.
Tell me about other photos…. Here are portraits of Gianni and yours in crowns. Where is this from?
Our friend Gian Domenico Sozzi decided to create different crowns for different people. It was a real nightmare! Carla Bruni.³ In one of the photos she is sitting on the floor during the show and smoking…. Yes, she smoked all the time.
Was she Gianni's favorite model?
Gianni liked her. Sometimes after the show she would go out to dinner with us. She wasn't a top model like Naomi (Campbell) for example... She was a mid-level model. But Gianni liked her as a person.
Which photo of Gianni is your favorite?
Hard to say. I like the one where he's in black. He is so thoughtful there - this was filmed on the balcony of a house in Como. And here is another profile photo, this photo was taken by Angelo José Folg. What strong features, how tense he is! This photo was taken shortly before his death.
Let's go back to the last letter that Gianni wrote to you ... He is bequeathed 
It caused a storm in the press because most he left his fortune to his niece Allegra, although everyone expected him to leave it all to her mother Donatella.
I don't know... But this letter made a very strong impression on me. It's like Gianni is speaking to us from the grave.
Daphne Barak is an international television journalist who does interviews under exclusive contracts with a number of TV channels in the US and the UK, including CBS and Sky News, and other countries.
Interviews, photographs, documents provided exclusively for publication in Russian in The New Times magazine. All rights to reprint, use part or all of the text and photos belong to Daphne Barak and Daphne Barak Agency
Translation from English by Anna Makarova
1 Gianni Versace was shot dead on July 15, 1997 at his villa in Miami Beach (Florida, USA). His killer was Andrew Cunanan, who had killed four other people over the course of three months. The killer committed suicide.
2 Famous Italian singer.
3 Now she is the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Name: Gianni VersaceGianni Versace
Age: 50 years
Activity: fashion designer, designer, founder of the fashion house Gianni Versace
Family status: not married
Gianni Versace: biography
The biography of Gianni Versace, an outstanding fashion designer from Italy, is like a fairy tale. A boy from a poor family turned out to be capable of a miracle: Versace became not only one of the most famous couturiers, but also a true trendsetter in fashion and style. Unfortunately, not everything in the fate of the master was as easy and cloudless as a career.
Childhood and youth
The future fashion designer was born on December 2, 1946 in the small town of Reggio de Calibria, in southern Italy. The boy's parents owned a clothing store, which brought income to the family. FROM early years It was the little Versace who helped his mother hang out the outfits and select accessories for them. Gianni was delighted to see how seemingly insignificant details change the look of the whole outfit.
Three children grew up in the Versace family: Gianni had a brother, Santo, and a sister, Donatella. The adoration of the mother was given to the eldest son, while Gianni constantly suffered from a lack of maternal attention. The boy tried to fill this void with minutes spent with his mother in the family shop. Soon, Gianni knew how not only to carefully hang clothes, but also began to understand the features of the cut and fabrics.
In addition to dresses, young Gianni Versace was attracted to drawing. Parents even predicted a career as an architect for their son. The young man, after graduating from school, entered the institute, the Faculty of Architecture, but soon realized that this specialty would not bring creative satisfaction. In addition, Gianni's mother insisted that her son help work in the family store. So Gianni dropped out of college and focused on helping his mother.
Fashion and design
Until the age of 25, Gianni Versace worked in a family store. The young man constantly came up with new images, helped customers to select sets of clothes and comprehended the intricacies of the fashion designer's skills. It is not surprising that soon the name of the young designer became known to urban fashionistas.
Feeling confident in own forces, Gianni Versace travels to Milan, the capital of Italian fashion. There, Versace was lucky enough to get a job with three eminent fashion designers at once. Soon Gianni becomes indispensable at fashion shows: the young man travels around Italy, organizes shows and helps employers in preparing collections.
Gaining experience, Gianni began to dream of opening his own fashion house, as well as think over a collection of clothes that he decided to present to the world in the spring of 1978. This debut instantly made the fashion designer famous: the collection was enthusiastically received by both metropolitan fashionistas and biased critics.
In the same year, Gianni Versace registered a trademark for given name and solemnly opened the first store. Santo and came to help his brother.
Fashion house
The head of the Medusa Gorgon became the emblem of the Versace fashion house. The fact is that Gianni was interested ancient mythology, and considered the Gorgon a symbol of bewitching, unconditional beauty. Now this emblem is recognizable even by people far from the world of fashion.
Already in 1979, immediately after the debut women's collection, Versace released a line of clothing for men. The premiere show was held with brilliance, the fashion designer gained many fans, as well as interest and respect from colleagues in the fashion shop.
In the 1980s, Versace fashion house shows were held one after another. Each collection became a sensation: Gianni was not afraid to experiment with cuts, preferring frank and bright outfits that did not hide the beauty of the female and male body.
Soon Versace brand clothes become a cult. Many other stellar persons turn out to be clients of the ingenious master.
At the same time, Gianni Versace opens his own brand stores in different countries peace. Success, as well as the income of the fashion designer, endlessly strive upward, and photos from the master's shows capture the covers of fashion magazines.
Gianni Versace decides not to stop there, and after a while, the first fragrance comes out under a recognizable label. It was the women's perfume "Gianni Versace". Following them, the men's perfume "L ̛ Homme" appeared. Since then, the fashion house of Gianni Versace has released many fragrances, but these first perfumes are still relevant.
In the 1990s, the fashion designer again expands the horizons of his own company. Under the brand Gianni Versace, dishes, furniture, jewelry and even cars began to be produced. Each novelty is met with a bang by the fans of the master, each time confirming the proverb that talented people able to show themselves in any activity.
Personal life
There is an opinion that childhood trauma influenced Gianni Versace's personal life. The fact is that on the way to school the boy had to pass by a brothel. A strict mother constantly scolded Gianni if he inadvertently turned his head towards this institution. Since then, the fear of seeing a naked woman has been fixed in Gianni's head. And even despite the fact that later Versace connected his life with the creation of clothes for women, relations with the ladies frightened the fashion designer.
Be that as it may, but the personal life of Gianni Versace, despite the unconventional orientation of the great master, has developed happily.
The first serious novel of the fashion designer, however, ended in a break. A young fashion model named Paul Black preferred his own sister Donatella to his lover. After this incident, the brother and sister did not communicate. more than a year, and Paul soon became Donatella's husband.
Gianni Versace and Antonio d'Amico The second love story lasted until the end of the life of Gianni Versace. Antonio d'Amico, the head of the sportswear department of the Versace fashion house, became the chosen one of the fashion designer. It is also known that Gianni and Antonio periodically rested together, choosing one of their favorite models. However, such bold entertainment did not affect the relationship of lovers.
Death
It seemed happy life fashion designer will last for many more years, but fate decreed otherwise. On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was killed directly on the porch of his own house in Miami.
Murder committed Serial killer Andrew Cunanan. It is known that the offender turned out to be a homosexual and made a living by prostitution. The cause of death of Gianni Versace was called a gunshot wound: the fashion designer died due to two accurate shots to the head.
On this day, only Antonio d "Amico was in the house with Gianni, who called the police. The killer, or rather his body, was found eight days later: the man shot himself. In his suicide note, Andrew Cunanan wrote that he killed Gianni Versace "as a banner of homosexuality ".
The death of the fashion designer was instantly overgrown with rumors and speculation. According to one version, members of the family of Gianni Versace ordered the murder. According to another, she had a hand in the crime Italian mafia. There were even suggestions that the emblem of the Versace fashion house, the Gorgon Medusa, which allegedly attracted trouble, was to blame for what happened.
Not a single guess has received official confirmation, and the murder of Gianni Versace is still called one of the mysteries of the 20th century.
After the funeral of the master, Donatella Versace became the head of the fashion house. Companion Gianni, Antonio, according to the will, received the right to live in any of the villas owned by Versace, as well as a generous monthly allowance.
Memory
- 1997 - Elton John's album "The Big Picture", dedicated to Gianni Versace
- 2001 - documentary“Victim of fashion. The Assassination of Gianni Versace
- 2013 - the film "House of Versace"
How one of the most famous fashion empires was built.
To bookmarks
The site reviewer studied the history of the Gianni Versace fashion house, founded in 1978 by the famous fashion designer Gianni Versace and has gone from a small local brand to one of the most famous in the world. Gianni Versace survived the death of its founder with great difficulty, but eventually restored its position in the market and is now planning an IPO.
Today, under the Versace brand, a wide range of products is released, ranging from collections of women's and men's clothing to towels and kitchen tiles. The fashion house was created by one of the most influential fashion designers - Gianni Versace - and owes its initial success and worldwide fame exclusively to its founder.
Santo, Gianni and Donatella Versace
Gianni Versace. Creation of the fashion house Gianni Versace
According to Versace, fashion should be whimsical and extravagant. He embodied his views in collections that violated the canons and foundations. Versace was a fan Italian style neo-baroque. His collections combined a passion for contrasts and excesses, combining different styles and kitsch.
Versace's style has often been criticized. In London, he was considered vulgar, and Armani accused the fashion designer of transforming haute couture in a porn show. He also claimed that Gianni creates clothes for girls of easy virtue. Contrary to public opinion, Versace was able to find his audience, and by the end of the 80s, celebrities from all over the world wore his outfits.
Gianni Versace in the 80s and 90s. Assassination of Gianni Versace
In 2012, the company invested in development in China, Malaysia, USA, Brazil, Europe, Hong Kong. New beach and lingerie collections, couture Atelier Versace and Young Versace designed for children were presented.
One of the major innovations was the launch of the e-commerce site versace.com. Plans were then announced for further development directions, including launching in most countries of the world, creating specialized microsites and launching applications.
In 2015, e-commerce accounted for only 2% of the company's direct sales. However, Versace also works in partnership with other trading platforms, so this figure is slightly higher. In the same year, the Atelier Versace Haute Joaillerie collection of exclusive jewels was launched. The items included in it are made by hand and exclusively to order. The collection is produced by the company's partners in Dubai.
In 2013, the company continued to open stores, of which there were 137 by 2014. The company's profit grew by 27.6%, and sales reached €479.2 million. The United States became the most growing market for the company.
At the same time, Ferraris decided that the company needed to raise funds from outside. To search for a potential partner, he turned to Intesa and Goldman Sachs. The best option turned out to be Blackstone Group, which bought 20% of the company for €210 million. The deal was completed in 2014.
In the same year, the company opened 40 boutiques. Versace presented several successful collections and ended the year with the already usual growth in financial performance. The company's profit increased by 27% to €26.3 million.
The success of Versace allowed its shareholders and management to think about the previously planned IPO. The Versace family has long wanted Versace to go public, but sees it as imperative to maintain full control of the company.
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